After a vigorous 30 minute group workout consisting of HIIT, group members foam rolled for the remaining class time. I overheard some of the gals talking about foam rolling and one blurted…“this hurts worse than labor pains!”
So if foam rolling hurts this bad, it can’t be good for me…right? Wrong!
A foam roller is a tool that can release tension in the myofascial system (Muscle and fascia). Tension can be caused by many things: stress (chemical, physical) impact or trauma, repetitive movement patters, poor exercise conditioning, poor hydration and bad posture.
Benefits of self myo-fascial release include:
- Correct muscle imbalances
- Increase joint range of motion
- Decrease muscle soreness
- Decrease muscle hypertonicity
- Increase the extensibility of musculotendinous junction
- Increase neuromuscular efficiency
- Maintain normal functional muscular length
- Relieves joint stress
General Guidlines:
- Hold each position one to two minutes for each side
- If pain is reported, stop rolling and REST on the painful areas for 20-30 seconds.
- Continue to roll when pain is present activates the muscle spindles, causing increase tightness and pain.
- Resting 20-30 seconds on painful areas will reduce muscular tension and pain.
- Peform SMR one to two times daily.
**SMR can be performed both as a warm-up to an activity and as a cool-down.
For foam rolling and SMR strategies please email me or call at 651-402-8847